Improvement in eokse hay-forks



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Letters Patent No. 81,517. dated August 25, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-'roars 'titte dgetule maat in in time Eatersttett mit mthugrtrt 11i-tige smite.

TO.ALL WHOMIT MAY lCONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. IilNs, ot' Ashland, Iin the county ofSchuylkill, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Horse Hay-Forks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a sufliciently full, clear, and exact description thereof,toV enable one skilled iu the art to which my said inventionappertainstoV make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawingwhich is made a part of this specification. t

The subject of my invention is a horse hay-fork, cf novel and simpleconstruction and operation. It co'nsists 'ofI a pair o f jaws, composedof a plurality ot' tines, attached to a suitable handle or stock, theone by a rigid and the other by a hinge joint. The hinged or `movablejaw is connected, by means of a suitable rod or brace, to a slide orroller working in a recess in the face of the stock, and engaged by asuitable catch to lock thejaws in their closed position.

In the drawingsv Figure 1 yis a perspective view of my improved fork, inits closed or set position` Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, open,and in the position in which it is driven into the hay.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, showing a diiierent construction ofthelocking-devices from that represented in tlie other figures. i

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

A may represent the stock or handle, which may be of any suitable form,and is provided at its upper end with aloop orieye, a, for the receptionof the elevating-rope B, and has attached to it, at itslowerend,y a pairof jaws, C D, each o t' which is preferably composed of a plurality oftines, c cl, and are connected to said stock by the rigid-and hingedjoints e cl respectively. v

'E is a rigid brace, connectingl the iixedjaw C, ata suitable distancefrom its intersection with the stock A, tosaid stock, for the purpose ofstrengthening it, and F, a rod, similar to the brace E, connecting themovablejaw D,."at a correspondingpoint, to the locking-devices. y l i In figs. l and 2, the rod or brace F is represented as provided with awidened and slotted upper end,f, to adapt it for attachment to a slidingblock, G, working in arecess, al, in the stock A, andA held from lateraldisplacement in said recess by `means of guides, g g.

II is a spring-latch, attached to the-stock in any suitable manner,and/working in a slot, a2, in its face,' and adapted to engage with theupper lend ot' the block G, to hold said block in its depressedposition, represented in iig. 1.

In tig. 3, the widening and'slot-ting-of the cndf of the rod or brace Fis represented as dispensed with, and said end of the same ora lesswidth, working in the slot a2, which is elongated for that purpose.

Theslide G is composed ot' suitable studs or pins projecting from thesides-oi` the rod, and occupying the recess al, the sides, of which arethus adapted to be closed, as represented at a3, thus greatly increasingthe strength of this part. of the apparatus.

lThe latch H is` composed of a ilat bar'ot' metal, or other similarmaterial, pivoted at its upper end, and

adapted to close by gravity over the slide `G of the rod F, to hold thejaws intheir closed position,-as represented.

I represents the trip-cord, whichis attached to the latch H, as shown.By pulling said cord,`the latch is retracted, releasing the slide Gr,and thus allowing ,the jaw Dto open to discharge the load.

The shape of the tines is such that the load exerts a continuouspressure on the locking-devices, so that whenreleased the movable jawwill readily open to discharge the load. By hrig'ing one jaw only, theloadis discharged to that side, and the fork is thus adapted to pitchthe hay to the sides and corners of the mow, when desired, instead ofdropping it always directly under the fork.

` To enter the forkinto the hay, it'being in 'the position representedin Iig.- 2, the jaw D is first forced down by pressing on it with thefoot, and then, while still holding it, the jaw C is inserted by forcingthe upper end of the stock back, thus bringing the slide G' to itsdepressed position, when the latch H engages Withit, and

holds the `iaws in the position into which they have been forced. Thefork is then elevated by means of the rope B, and, having reached thedesired locality, by drawing the cord I 'the latch is retracted and thejaws allowed to open, discharging the load, as before described.

The several parts-of my improved fork may be madeof combined woodand'metal, as represented, or in any other approved mode. I also proposesubstituting a. roller for the slide G, vvhen desired, and otherwisemodifying the form of the various parts, as may be preferred. l Y YHaving described my invention, I claim as new therein, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the movable jaw D, ofthe slide G, connecting-rod F, and latch H, arranged and operating inthe manner and for the purpose set forth. y

2. Thecombined arrangement of the stock A, rigid and hingedjaws C D,brace E,rod or brace F, slide G, and latch H, all substantially asdescribed, for the purposes specifiedV CHARLES E. LINS.

Witnesses:

I. H. YocUM, M. M. Moen.

